Clinical/Experimental Neuroscience and Psychiatry – PhD Program – Sapienza, Rome

Educational Objectives

The PhD program is divided into 7 curricula focusing on the study of physiological and pathological aspects of the nervous system. The common goal across the curricula is to provide PhD candidates with the theoretical and experimental tools to investigate the neural mechanisms underlying the functioning of motor and sensory systems, as well as their alterations in neurological, degenerative, psychiatric, oncological, and neurodevelopmental disorders.

PhD students undergo a three-year training program that includes initially supervised and later independent research activities, along with decreasing classroom instruction enriched by weekly seminars known as Neurowebinars.

These are the specific objectives for PhD students in the different curricula:

1. SENSORIMOTOR NEUROSCIENCE: Conduct research on the motor and sensory systems in both healthy subjects and patients with movement disorders, and investigate the clinical and neurophysiological aspects of epilepsy.
2. NEUROREHABILITATION: Acquire knowledge about central mechanisms involved in motor recovery in patients with neurological diseases undergoing rehabilitation treatment.
3. EXPERIMENTAL NEUROLOGY: Perform research on neurodegenerative diseases starting from data analysis in animal models to understand the pathogenic processes underlying human diseases, also using experimental approaches in quantitative neuroimaging and molecular biology.
4. NEUROLOGICAL, NEURODEVELOPMENTAL, AND PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS IN CHILDHOOD AND ADOLESCENCE: Develop and test hypotheses related to the pathophysiology of these disorders, define specific observational and therapeutic approaches aimed at validating early clinical outcome measures, and design experimental trials for new pharmacological treatments or innovative diagnostic procedures.
5. AUDITORY IMPLANTOLOGY AND NEUROSTIMULATION: Gain knowledge of electrophysiological, psychoacoustic, and audiological prosthetic aspects, to study issues related to auditory processing through these devices, their therapeutic effectiveness in restoring auditory function, and their impact on language development.
6. PSYCHIATRY: EARLY INTERVENTIONS IN PSYCHOSES AND MOOD DISORDERS: Address current needs in psychiatric disciplines by integrating existing knowledge and expertise in neuroscience, genetics, molecular and cellular biology, brain imaging, epidemiology, psychometrics, and pharmacology.
7. NEUROPHYSIOLOGY: Study the physiological mechanisms of synaptic function, communication between nervous system cells, and interactions between the nervous system, immune system, and gut microbiota, as well as their alterations in pathological conditions, including using animal models of brain disorders.